McCain to Univision: Fence? I didn’t vote for any fence

posted at 3:54 pm on September 17, 2008 by Allahpundit

McCain, circa January 2007: “I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.” McCain, two days ago to Univision:

-You voted for the construction of the wall between Mexico and the United States. However, the Mexican Government has just confirmed that every year, at least half a million Mexicans come to the United States. How exactly are you planning to secure that border? Every single minute there is an immigrant coming into the United States illegally.

-I didn’t vote for, I am not sure what you are talking about, but we can secure…

-…about 700 miles.

-I say we can secure our borders with walls and/or fences in urban areas, and then virtual fences, vehicle barriers

-But, you did vote for the wall.

-I didn’t vote for an…, I don’t know what you are exactly what you are referring to. What my plan was, and what our proposal was, that we secure our borders, and we can secure it, not necessarilly with walls and fences. Although that is important in populated areas, in the deserts of Arizona vehicle barriers, cameras, and sensors, all of those things, can be used. By the way, on the Arizona Border, common practice today, drug dealers send a group of illegals across the border, the drug dealers call cartels, call the border patrol that they round them up and leave and the drugs go behind them. So, don’t try to separate that issue, because they are inextricably tied, my friend.

Where could the interviewer have gotten the idea that Maverick supports a “goddamned fence”? Ah, right — from his vote for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, as this immigration blogger reminds us. Remember that? 700 miles of fence along the border? Remember how the blogosphere rejoiced — except for one dour skeptic who had the last laugh a year later when her warnings about what an egregious sham it was proved only too true? McCain’s playing it off here as though what he really voted for was the virtual fence, which the bill did indeed provide for — and which, predictably, ran into delays and technological problems on the ground — but there was a bit more to it than that. Read Section 3 for yourself.

Incidentally, in the same Univision interview, he promises to present a new comprehensive immigration bill to Congress “in the first day” he takes office — which isn’t the first time he’s said that, his many empty soundbites about securing the border first notwithstanding. Exit question: You do understand we’re going to see amnesty with President McCain in office, right? And Vice President Palin’s likely to be cheering all the way.

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Disagree. At least when it comes to this issue, as well as cap and trade and free speech. McCain is as much an enemy to conservatism (and the country, frankly) in these areas as Obama is. More of one, in some ways, as a McCain presidency would imply a bluer Congress, which would ensure the passage of amnesty, CnT and even possibly some watered-down version of the fairness doctrine.

If this was before he locked the nomination then it would make sense. But guess what. It’s less then two months from election time. Unlike posting this stuff AFTER the election where it would help our cause, posting it BEFORE only hurts it.

However, posting stuff that he KNOWS will tick off conservatives and make them have second thoughts about McCain/Palin less then 2 months before the election is just wrong. Wait until the day after the elction (no matter who wins) and FLOOD the site with McCain-for-Amnesty stuff. Just makes no sence to do it now unless you want Obama to win.

DethMetalCookieMonst on September 17, 2008 at 4:54 PM

LOL. Our minds are so malleable to AP’s powers of persuasion that it really only matters what he posts last, right before the election. As long as the last thing we see from AP just prior to entering the voting booth is positive, we’ll vote for McCain (according to your theory). Right?

So, what you should do is begin bribing AP to write one positive article about McCain on the afternoon of November 3rd, and not post anything else until the polls close on the 4th. That way (according to you) we’ll all vote McCain. I’m not sure how big the bribe will have to be, but I expect he could use a vacation.

I think you are very much wrong on that. Also, what would Obama with a bluer congress do?

DethMetalCookieMonst on September 17, 2008 at 5:11 PM

One, an Obama presidency means a redder Congress, by the “law” of opposition gains in off-year elections. As it stands in the ’08 cycle, the Congress is on track to either stay where it is or turn redder (perhaps turn red). That means an Obama administration functionally in hostile waters. Come 2010, they will be in hostile waters. Republicans, if they have both the brains and the stones, should be able to stymie Obama’s legislative agenda until then, as well as any court picks.

This election is not about putting McCain in the White House. It’s about putting conservatism to work. The extent to which McCain refuses to do so is the extent to which his philosophy should not lead the GOP. If he doesn’t have to tow the ideological line during an election, just when exactly do you expect to start towing it? After he has power?

That might have worked with Bush, but I doubt it would work with the Maverick. Like every other Nixon/Rockefeller Republican, he needs to be watched like a hawk, which is what I’m hoping Palin will do from within the walls.

Lies. Do you have any proof that McCain is going to push Comprehensive Immigration Reform right off the bat? I am so sick of all these lies about the greatest president who ever walked the earth- John Sidney McCain. You people are all crazy losers. You must really want Obama to win.

If you see amnesty, it won’t be by presidential fiat, it’ll be because a majority of legislators supported it. McCain will cheerlead it along, but at the end of the day it’ll come down to how convinced individual legislators are that they will or won’t lose their jobs over it. And the truth is, it probably won’t be that different if Obama’s elected. No president is going to make amnesty a signature first-term issue, particularly when the economy is having spasms and the unemployment rate starts ticking up.

Still, the ease with which McCain tosses out lies is more than a little disturbing. That’s not maverick, it’s just dishonesty born of too many years in Washington and living the rich life where you answer to no one.

LOL. Our minds are so malleable to AP’s powers of persuasion that it really only matters what he posts last, right before the election. As long as the last thing we see from AP just prior to entering the voting booth is positive, we’ll vote for McCain (according to your theory). Right?

So, what you should do is begin bribing AP to write one positive article about McCain on the afternoon of November 3rd, and not post anything else until the polls close on the 4th. That way (according to you) we’ll all vote McCain.

Lies. Do you have any proof that McCain is going to push Comprehensive Immigration Reform right off the bat? I am so sick of all these lies about the greatest president who ever walked the earth- John Sidney McCain. You people are all crazy losers. You must really want Obama to win.
Valiant on September 17, 2008 at 5:57 PM

One, an Obama presidency means a redder Congress, by the “law” of opposition gains in off-year elections. As it stands in the ‘08 cycle, the Congress is on track to either stay where it is or turn redder (perhaps turn red). That means an Obama administration functionally in hostile waters. Come 2010, they will be in hostile waters. Republicans, if they have both the brains and the stones, should be able to stymie Obama’s legislative agenda until then, as well as any court picks.

Let’s see. First off, I think you mean “2011”, as it’s only the ELECTION that takes place, not the actually swearing in and all that crap. Second, last time I checked, this is 2008. A lot can be done by a blue congress with Obama in it (bad stuff, I might add) between 2009 and 2011.

Until and unless that first day’s “comprehensive” bill does not include securing the borders first, ….

CK MacLeod on September 17, 2008 at 4:11 PM

‘first’, with pathway to residency as ‘second’??

You two and many others miss the point – no matter how high and wide a fence we build (and we should build the damn fence!) we will NEVER stop the flood of future illegal border jumpers if we keep rewarding illegal aliens with residency – the exact ill-gotten goods they come here for in the first place.

We have had 6 additional amnesties since the big one in 1986 – and every time we reward illegal aliens with residency (or even TALK about it!), the principle we all learned in Psych 101 is proven once again: punishing (or at least not rewarding) a specific behavior discourages that behavior; rewarding a specific behavior encourages more of that same behavior.

Which behavior do you want – legal or illegal behavior?
Decide which one you want, and then enforce policies accordingly. Rewarding and encouraging illegal aliens by dangling the hope of future residency, while expecting no future border crossings, is insane. Simply insane.

McCain’s cynical change (aah, that CHANGE word again) of the waiting period from the 2006 Z visa’s 90 days to the 2007 Z visa “one business day” tells me where his heart is: reward illegal behavior.

Lies. Do you have any proof that McCain is going to push Comprehensive Immigration Reform right off the bat? I am so sick of all these lies about the greatest president who ever walked the earth- John Sidney McCain. You people are all crazy losers. You must really want Obama to win.

Translation: I can’t reply to your reason about how posting jumping-the-gun posts about McCain that will really piss off conservatives and do more harm then good to the conservative cause as we can’t do anything GOOD about it right now so I’ll just pretend that you are all McCain worshippers.

Still, the ease with which McCain tosses out lies is more than a little disturbing. That’s not maverick, it’s just dishonesty born of too many years in Washington and living the rich life where you answer to no one.

Do you people even read the article? Read it, without AP’s commentary. ACE has even seen that everyone jumped the gun on this one.

You know, before the Republican Convention, while all of you were whining about “They will have AGW as an issue” I said “No, they are only using it as a way to push nuclear power plants as it’s the only way they can get people to go for them”. Some of you thought I was crazy. Well what happened at the convention? Not a word on AGW but a whole lot of “Nuclear power plants” this and “nuclear energy” that.

I think amnesty should be contingent upon Mexico liberalizing its laws with regards to Gringo property ownership and Gringos being able to pick up permanent residence at will in Mexico.

If we are going this route then the push should be for Mexico to capitulate and become Americanized with Gringos buying up Mexican property and moving en masse into Mexico….seriously impacting their culture. The upside for Mexicans is that their economy will boom.

You complained that AP posted something negative about McCain, and you suggested he (AP) should wait to post negative items about McCain until after the election lest he cause McCain to lose. I can quote you again, if you like.

So I responded:

LOL. Our minds are so malleable to AP’s powers of persuasion that it really only matters what he posts last, right before the election. As long as the last thing we see from AP just prior to entering the voting booth is positive, we’ll vote for McCain (according to your theory). Right?

So, what you should do is begin bribing AP to write one positive article about McCain on the afternoon of November 3rd, and not post anything else until the polls close on the 4th. That way (according to you) we’ll all vote McCain. I’m not sure how big the bribe will have to be, but I expect he could use a vacation.

I was just goofing on your notion that AP has so much influence that he can influence an election. AP as King-maker.

By the way, I didn’t say you were wrong, I just suggested a way for you to get AP to post the sort of things you want him to post.

Somebody, anybody, please put this poll in front of the McCain campaign. This is the ONLY poll ever to offer up all three specific choices – attrition (House bill), mass deportation, and amnesty/rewards (McCain-Kennedy bill).

Attrition wins hands down.

Attrition through enforcement, with no rewards/amnesty, is a winning political stance across both Rep. and Dem. voters.

You complained that AP posted something negative about McCain, and you suggested he (AP) should wait to post negative items about McCain until after the election lest he cause McCain to lose. I can quote you again, if you like.

I didn’t say for him to not post anything negative about McCain. I said in regards to amnesty, and in the fashion that he posted it. You know, with snide remarks and that little nugget in the end “You do understand we’re going to see amnesty with President McCain in office, right? And Vice President Palin’s likely to be cheering all the way” as if to say “If you vote for McCain you’re a friggin’ idiot”.

McCain has to do SOMETHING about the FACT that the DEMS have the Black vote, the NEW ISLAMIC vote, AND are trying to lock up THE HISPANIC VOTE (the relatives, of illegals, who have come here over the past 50 years.) NEW HISPANICS would be able to be assimilated much easier in MY OPINION than the ISLAMICS. Look at FRANCE and the rest of EUROPE, in 50 years french WILL BE SPOKEN BY A MINORITY OF PEOPLE LIVING IN FRANCE. I personally think that McCain is thinking LONG TERM. Just my opinion. By the way, guess which demographic is making up a growing percentage of the armed services.

When I think about McDips arguements for amnesty the only one that comes to mind is the one about it being horrible to seperate mothers from their children.

Let’s see, hmmm… what’s the primary motivation for these illegals to have two or three children as soon as they wade across our unprotected border?

Ans: To gain a quasi-legal tie to American citizenship via the “anchor baby”, hopefully nullifying the fact of their illegal entry.

And mcDip buys right into the plan.

What’s really a laugh is that these children wind up getting their parents a headstart into dipping into our “Social Services” barrel.

So the sum result of McDips bleeding heart is a net loss of American jobs during a time of national financial crises and unneeded financial stress for our schools, hospitals, and social services. He’s not just a poor leader, he’s an ignorant elitist who has lost touch with the realities on the ground in America, evidently the best stinkin candidate the Republicans could serve up.

I’m starting to fall into the camp of letting America suffer 4 years of Obama to get us finally back into the consevative fold.

McCain has to do SOMETHING about the FACT that the DEMS have the Black vote, the NEW ISLAMIC vote, AND are trying to lock up THE HISPANIC VOTE (the relatives, of illegals, who have come here over the past 50 years.) NEW HISPANICS would be able to be assimilated much easier in MY OPINION

than the ISLAMICS. Look at FRANCE and the rest of EUROPE, in 50 years french WILL BE SPOKEN BY A MINORITY OF PEOPLE LIVING IN FRANCE. I personally think that McCain is thinking LONG TERM. Just my opinion. By the way, guess which demographic is making up a growing percentage of the armed services.

bigmike on September 17, 2008 at 11:00 PM

The issue is Rule of Law and National Sovereignty.
There’s a reason for the freakin line. (control of who, when, and how many) Mexican nationals seem to think that what we built here is theirs. It ain’t.

The reason Mexico sucks (witness the mass exodus)isn’t because of a lack of resources, but a lack of determination by Mexicans to make what they have work. Personally I don’t like importing a lot of that kind of attitude. (your’s is better and I want some NOW).

I think McCain can try to throw some amnesty, but the citizens will revolt again. Bush tried to push through amnesty, you know he really tried. The RINO’s and Dems were all for it too. You know the result, they backed down for fear that the mob would overrun their offices and bring them into the streets for a little civilian justice.

McCain may try, but he will fail. He can’t pass legislation by himself, and the Congress will back down. Twelve million votes won’t keep them in all in office…